What's in my makeup bag? - Products that I'm currently using!

What's in my makeup bag?

As a beauty blogger, I've tried so many different products over the years. At some points I had about 20 or more foundations at the same time, and was trying so many things and finishing none of them. Since my little break off from blogging, I've cut down on trying so many new things at once, and I'm finding myself repurchasing the same things over again - things that are reliable and that I love!

So, for the past several months (or more), these have been my staples!

MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation - I've gone through around 3-4 tubes of this so far, and I've been re-purchasing this foundation as soon as I run out. It has a solid medium coverage, and it's my go-to when I want my makeup to last on hours on end. It really does last me till the time I want to wash my face, and I don't find that it breaks apart or separates by the end of the night. I do prefer this over MAC's regular Pro Longwear Foundation, but I do like that one as well. ($33)

NARS Tinted Moisturizer - This is my go-to day wear foundation. The formula is creamy and moisturizing and it provides an SPF of 30, which is great for when you're out and about during the day. The coverage is light, but buildable, and evens out the skintone nicely and gives a fresh, clean look. A little expensive for a daily wearing tinted moisturizer, but for now, I'm loving it and I'm getting low on my second tube. ($44)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer - It wasn't love at first sight with this concealer, but after using it regularly, I've grown to love it. As I'm getting older, I find it much more difficult to find a concealer that doesn't age me or give me the "tired eye" look, and I find that this one doesn't accentuate dryness or fine lines. A definite winner in my book, and one that I will repurchase as soon as I run out. ($25)

Urban Decay Naked Concealer - Along with Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer, I like adding a layer of this concealer on top before I blend the two together. These two concealers work really well as a team, and I love how light and blendable this concealer is. It's a great one if you are looking for a pigmented concealer that doesn't have the density or weight of a standard (heavy) concealer. I like using this concealer in a lighter shade to brighten my under eyes. ($28)

Beauty Blender - I can't live without my beauty blender. I use it every day to apply my concealer, and I use a separate one to set my concealer with powder. It works more beautifully than any brush. ($20)

Guerlain Pink Clip (461) Maxi Shine Lipgloss Review, Photos, Swatches!

Guerlain Pink Clip (461) Maxi Shine Lipgloss

Guerlain Pink Clip (461) Maxi Shine Lipgloss ($30, 0.25 oz) is a iridescent warm, light pink. Another light pink? I know. It's just one of those things that is pure eye candy to me when I see it on the shelf at Sephora, and no matter how many I own, I'm always going to be craving more. So when I spotted this on the Guerlain display and swatched the buttery gloss on the back of my hand; among the 20 other product swatches that occupy my hand every trip to a makeup counter or store, I quickly shuffled through the fresh boxes behind the samples and chucked one in my basket. As simple as that.

I can say that every brand is my favorite, but Guerlain has a special place in my heart and if money grew on trees, I'd have a lot more Guerlain in my makeup stash (among all of the other high-end brands of course). 

You can feel the luxury of the product upon application - it feels so silky and creamy on the lips, and it keeps my lips moisturized and feeling plump. Stickiness? Pfft.. Not even. And the sponge applicator is really nice too. It's pretty large, flat and slanted, so it eliminates the need for continuously re-dipping the applicator for more product. Just one dip, and you're good. 

Now if it's worth the $30 price tag, that's completely up to you. All I know is that I'm loving this gloss, and it has righteously earned a spot in my favorites. 

Swatch of Guerlain Pink Clip (461) Maxi Shine Lipgloss

Guerlain Pink Clip (461) Maxi Lipgloss on my lips

Estee Lauder Hot Coralline Pure Color Vivid Shine Lipstick Review, Photos, Swatches!

Estee Lauder Hot Coralline Pure Color Vivid Shine Lipstick

Estee Lauder Hot Coralline Pure Color Vivid Shine Lipstick ($26, 0.13 oz) is a light, watermelon pink with bright pink and golden flecks of shimmer. There are tones of coral, pink and peach that are all wrapped up in this beautiful gold tube.

Although you might not be able to tell from the photos, this lipstick has tons of shimmer. So much in fact, that you can feel the slight grittiness of the glitter on your lips during application. The finish is a creamy frost - so if you don't like shimmery frost.. I'd skip out on this one. It's sheer with one coat, and very buildable with additional coats. The main downside aside from the texture is that the formula has a tendency to settle in the lip lines if too much is applied, and unfortunately this color can accentuate dryness.

Aside from that, the color is beautiful and it doesn't stop me from wearing this lipstick frequently. I think it's a fab shade for the Summer and I think it's a great shade for those of you who lean towards those warm, peachy-pink lipsticks - my fav!

Estee Lauder Hot Coralline Lipstick swatched

Estee Lauder Hot Coralline Lipstick on my lips

MAC Pearl Blossom Beauty Powder Review, Photos, Swatches!

MAC Pearl Blossom Beauty Powder

MAC Pearl Blossom Beauty Powder ($26, 0.35 oz) is a light, cotton-candy pink with a silvery pearl sheen. It's very light in color and would be a wonderful soft pink blush for lighter skintones. My coloring ranges from light to medium (since I use self tanner often) and when I'm applying the product as a blush, I prefer the way it looks on me when I'm not as tan, because when I'm darker and layer this powder on my cheeks, it can look slightly pastel/chalky. I like it better on me when I'm around the MAC NC15-25 range, as it gives my skin a doll-like glow. It also looks really pretty applied on top of another blush to add a pink, pearly sheen. For darker skintones, it's a great highlighter. It's also versatile enough that you can even use it as an all-over dusting powder to add luminosity to the skin.

As far as the product itself, the texture is really silky and the color is sheer, but it's easily buildable. It blends really well into the skin and even though it has a pearly (I wouldn't really call it frosty) sheen, it doesn't emphasize my pores.

I love the formula of MAC Beauty Powders and I find myself reaching for them often. I'm sure Pearl Blossom will be one of my go-to products!

MAC Pearl Blossom Beauty Powder swatched